Aftonbladet reports that Hultsfred will no longer be working with Ema Telstar so the booking agency has decided to start their own festival on the same date in cooperation with Luger: http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesliv/musik/article1557929.ab (in Swedish)
MP3: Mats Öberg - En visa om ett rosenblad
The remake of "Poems, ballader och lite blues" (as discussed yesterday) isn't the only new release paying tribute to Cornelis Vreeswijk; Mats Öberg's new record "Improvisational two" is comprised entirely of solo improvisations based on Vreeswijk songs. Listening to this track that I've posted may remind you of Jan Johansson which of course is quite fitting, seeing as how Johansson played on the original version from the album "Grimascher och telegram" (1966). Mats' take on the piece is, naturally, a bit more free given the solo/improv setting, but the melody carries through and that's the most important part. And what a lovely melody it is! If the language barrier is too much for you to take, try this instead.
Mats Öberg - En visa om ett rosenblad
Le Blogothéque does the Take-Away Show thing with Jens Lekman: http://www.blogotheque.net/article.php3?id_article=3772
The holidays got in the way, but our report from December's IAT! Clubnight with Randy and Johndoe is now posted: http://www.itsatrap.com/articles.php?a=367
Thanks, as always, to Jonas and Sofia for the words and photos.
Pitchfork does the guest list thing with The Tough Alliance: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/46213-guest-list-the-tough-alliance
The nominees for this year's Spellemanprisen (the Norwegian Grammy) have been announced:
Female artist:
Ane Brun - Live In Scandinavia (Det Er Mine/V2)
Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance (Sony BMG)
Sissy Wish - Beauties Never Die (Sony BMG)
Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør (MBN)
Male artist:
Kenneth Ishak - Silver Lightning From A Black Sky (Division Records As)
Magnet - The Simple Life (Sony BMG)
Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles (Hektor Grammofon)
William Hut - Nightfall (Universal Music AS)
Pop group:
Blind Archery Club - The Union (Sony BMG)
Superfamily - Warszawa (Propeller Rec.)
The Royalties - The Royalties (Blister Music)
Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord Og Ögonblick (Sony BMG)
Electronica:
Alog - Amateur (Rune Grammofon)
Diskjokke - Staying In (Smalltown Supersound)
Salvatore - Days Of Rage (Racing Junior)
Rock:
BigBang - Too Much Yang (Warner Music/Grandsport Records)
Moving Oos - Peace And Love (Kong Tiki Records)
My Midnight Creeps - Histamin (MMC Records)
Raga Rockers - Übermensch (EMI/Pilot/Virgin)
The Lionheart Brothers - Dizzy Kiss (Racing Junior)
Country:
Hellbillies - Spissrotgang (EMI Music Norway)
Hemisfair - Blue Blue Grass Of Home (Wilma Records/Playground Music)
Shit City - God Bless Our Home (Voices of Wonder)
Steinar Albrigtsen - Moment Of Peace (Sony BMG)
Metal:
Audrey Horne - Le Fol (Indie Recordings)
Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli (Nuclear Blast)
Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao (Season Of Mist)
Red Harvest - A Greater Darkness (Season Of Mist)
Hip-hop:
El Axel - It Is Wha It Is (Pass It Records)
Madcon - So Dark The Con Of Man (Bonner Amigo)
Tommy Tee - No Studio No Time-The Wait (Tee Productions)
Folk:
Berit Opheim - Den Blide Sol (NorCD AS)
Ragnhild Furebotten - Endelig Vals (Talik Da)
Sigrid Moldestad - Taus (Heilo)
Trio Mediaeval - Folk Songs (ECM/Grappa)
Jazz:
Fossum-Aarum Quartet - F.A.Q. (Schmell)
Jon Balke - Book Of Velocities (ECM/Grappa)
Petter Wettre - Fountain Of Youth (Household Records)
Sharp Nine - Sudoku (The Real Thing Da/Staffan)
The Core - Office Essentials (Jazzland)
Open class:
Frode Haltli - Passing Images (ECM/Grappa)
Live Maria Roggen - Circuit Songs (Jazzland)
Pust - Femkant (Pust Records)
Shining - Grindstone (Rune Grammofon)
The Source - The Source Of Christmas - Live (Grappa Musikkforlag AS)
Best music video:
Dimmu Borgir - The Serpentine Offering (Nuclear Blast)
Heroes & Zeros - A Strange Constellation (Nightliner/Universal)
My Midnight Creeps - Don`t Let’Em Bring You Down (MMC Records)
Turbonegro - Do You Do You Dig Destruction (Scandinavian Leather Recordings)
WE - Hurdy Gurdy (Nun Music)
Best Newcomer:
Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance (Sony BMG)
Heroes & Zeros - Strange Constellations (Nightliner/Universal)
Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør (MBN)
Tine Thing Helseth - Haydn/Hummel/Albinoni/Neruda (Simax Classics)
Valkyrien Allstars - Valkyrien Allstars (Heilo)
Best song:
Kurt Nilsen - "Push Push" (Sony BMG)
Madcon - "Beggin'" (Bonnier Music)
Postgirobygget - "Tidløs" (EMI Music Norway)
Sichelle - "Fuck Deg" (Eccentric Music)
Venke Knutson - "Holiday" (Universal)
Read more: http://www.spellemann.no/
Closer
The 39
Closersounds
Progressive metal has, to be honest, never been up my alley. There are some bands out there with those tendencies I approve of, like King Crimson, Opeth and TOOL among others. And Closer share similarities with the latter in general, the album "Ænima" in particular. The build up to the chorus on "Sensing the wake" is pure genius using elements from folklore, something TOOL's not afraid of doing either. Otherwise, this newly disbanded Stockholm-based combo sure gets my kicks off in all tracks on this EP. Don't know if it's something geographical but you can definitely hear the Scandinavian touch to it. Resembling Cult of Luna and Khoma and even, at times, At the Drive-In, it's a damn shame they decided to call it quits. Let's just hope that offspring act The Goatboys will be as promising.
- Jonas Appelqvist
Swedish indie act Bianca recently completed work on their new album "Wasting our time" and have posted a bunch of tracks on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/biancaband
Tobias Fröberg will travel to New Orleans to produce a new album from Swedish/American artist Theresa Andersson. He'll also be working as co-producer on Existensminmum's next album. As for his own solo work, look for the new record "Turn heads" to be released soon.
Swedish troubadour Thomas Denver Jonsson has a new track up on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thomasdenverjonsson
Södra Promenaden talks to Moderat Likvidation about their upcoming reunion show: http://sirling.blogg.se/1198963306_hall_dr__stefan_och_f.html (in Swedish)
Regain Records and Infernus present the new Gorgoroth lineup: http://www.regainrecords.com/viewItem.php?id=176
Check out Finnish act Pink Twins as recorded live in Moscow: http://netaudio.ru/musica-excentrica/add-noise/sess001/